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ש ש ש
.וֹנוֹשְׁל
די קרפ
Preface
םייח ץפח
Chafetz Chayim הרימשה תבוח סרטנוק .דֹאְמ וֹז הָדִּמִּמ קֵחרְַתִהְל .ל"ַנַּה לָכְבּ לֵשָׁכִּי ןַמְזַּה ךְֵשְׁמֶהְבּ ידֵיִל םָדָאָה תֶא הָאיִבְמוּ ,דֹאְמ הָערָ הָדִּמ איִה םַגּ הָוֲאַגַּה .הָוֲאַגּ רַבְדּ ויִפִּמ אֵצֵי אלֶֹּשׁ ,תוּריִהְזַּה תוֹדוֹא רֵבּדְַנ הָתַּעְו ןאָכּ דַע ,הָבוֹטַּה
Kuntres Chovat HaShemirah הרימשה תבוח סרטנוק
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14 chapter די קרפ
the Torah (Bamidbar 35:33) “and the land shall not be (corrupted הרָוֹתַּה דוֹבְכּ ליִבְשִׁבּ רֹעְגִלְו תוֹנֲעַל בֵיַּחְתִי יִכּ ףַאְו .]םָלְצֶא
by) flattery.” The Sifri commentary identifies this pasuk as a
warning against flattery. Please see the Sefer Shaare Teshuvah רֶשֲׁא ,קיִדַּצְו יקִָנ דוֹבְכִל וֹא ,וּגֲעָלְו וּזָבּ רֶשֲׁא תוְֹצִמַּהְו
by Rabbeinu Yonah (3 sha’ar, sections #187-200) where he בֹזֲעַל םָדָאָה בֵיַּחְתִי רֶשֲׁא םירִָבְדַּה ןִמ דָחֶא הֶזְו .וֹבּ וּחיִשָׂי
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extensively elaborated on this subject. In his explanation,
Rabbeinu Yonah divided this subject into several parts, all of םיִערָָה םֶהירְֵבִדּ וֹעְמָשְׁבּ שֵׁנָעֵי יִכּ ,םיִעָשׁרְָה תרְַבֶח םרָוּבֲעַבּ
which are inclusive of flattery and he identified their sources in .םָתוֹנֲעַל הֶאְלִיְו
our Holy Writings; however, I wish to briefly summarize all of
this as follows: רֵבּדְַמ וֹניֵאֶשׁ ףַא ,םוֹלָשַּׁה ךְרֶֶדִּמ םיִעָשׁרְָה תֶא דֵבַּכְמַה .ט
[ 1 ] The circumstance we have just described above.
תוֹעְטִל וּלְכוּיֶּשׁ ,דוֹבָכּ וֹבּ גַהְנִי אלְֹו ,עָשׁרָָה לַע בוֹט
[ 2 ] One who praises an evil person to others whether or not this וֹל קלֲֹחַי אלֹ יִכּ ,דָבֻּכְמוּ ויָניֵעְבּ רקָָי רֶשֲׁאַבּ ,וֹדְבַּכְמֶּשׁ
evildoer is present to hear the praise, even though the speaker
does not justify his thievery but merely says that he is a “good םרְָשָׁע תַמֲחֵמ םירִיִשֲׁעָה תֶא ןידְִבַּכְמֶּשׁ ךְרֶדְֶכּ קרַ ,דוֹבָכּ
man.” Regarding this type of speech, Shelomo HaMelech םיִנָפּ לָכּ לַעֶשׁ ,אְטֵח וֹבּ שֵׁי הֶז םַגּ ,הָבוֹט תַוקְִתּ תַמֲחֵמוּ
teaches in Mishle (28:4) “One who leaves the Torah will extol \
praise evil people.” Even if the speaker is careful not to praise דֵבַּכְל רַתֻּה אלֹ ,םירִיִשֲׁעָה תֶא דֵבַּכְל רַתֻּה םִאְו .וּהדְֵבַּכְמ
this evil person except for those good qualities that he actually עָשׁרָָה וֹל קיִזַּי ןֶפּ הָגָאְדִּמ ,רַתֻּה הֶז ןֶפֹא ךְַא .םיִעָשׁרְָה תֶא
does possess and advocates for him before others, this is also a
bad sickness because when someone recalls the “good” and not ןידְִבַּכְמֶּשׁ םֵשְׁכּ ,וֹדְבַּכְל רַתֻּה ןֵכּ לַע .הָפיִקַּתּ וֹדָיֶּשׁ ןַמְזִבּ
the “bad,” and cover up his sins, he will be considered as being
righteous in the minds of the listeners and they will extend to him בוֹט רֵבּדְַי אלְֹו ,וּנֶּחְבַּשְׁי אלֹ ךְַא .רוּדִּהְו הָמיקְִבּ ַעוֹרְז יֵשְׁנַא
honor and deference, and this evil person’s hand will be uplifted :):א"מ הָטוֹס( ל"ַזֲח וּרְמָא הֶז ןוֹגְכִבוּ .םָדָא יֵנְבּ יֵנְפִל ויָלָע
and he will become strong. We have already described the
enormity of the trap of giving honor to Resha’im. Therefore, it is .הֶזַּה םָלוֹעָבּ םיִעָשׁרְָה תֶא ףיִנֲחַהְל רָתֻּמ
not appropriate to mention the “good” that evil people do unless
one also mentions the “bad” they do and their foolishness. ןיֵאֶשׁ ַעדֵוֹיֶּשׁ הָלֲעַמְבּ וֹתוֹא ַחֵבַּשְׁל ,רֵשָׁכּ םָדָאְל ףַאְו

[ 3 ] One who praises an evil person directly in his presence, even .ירֵָשׁ תֶלֶעוֹתְל קרְַו ,רוּסָא יאַדַּוְבּ ,הָפֻּנֲח םֵשְׁל קרְַו ,וֹבּ
though one is careful not to express that praise to others so that ףיִנֲחַהְל רָתֻּמֶּשׁ ,ל"ַזֲח םֵשְׁבּ םיִשׁוֹדְקַּה םירִָפְסַּבּ אָתיִאדְִכּ
they won’t fall into a trap, nevertheless this speaker is called a
flatterer and his sin is very great. His sin is great because this evil ;הּרָוֹתּ וֹדְמַּלְיֶּשׁ ידְֵכּ - וֹבּרְַל ,םוֹלָשׁ יֵכרְַדּ יֵנְפִּמ וֹתְּשִׁאְל
person now thinks the speaker respects him (lit., “has smoothed .וֹדיִמְלַתְל ןֵכְו ;וירָָבְדּ ַעֹמְשִׁל דַמְלִיֶּשׁ ידְֵכּ - וֹרֵבֲחַל
out the path of this evil person in his own eyes” – Tehilim 36:3)
and consequently he will not repent from his evil lifestyle nor וֹבּ שֵׁיֶּשׁ םָדָא לָכּ :רָזָעְלֶא 'ר רַמָא ,):א"מ( הָטוֹסְבּ אָתיִאְו
will he be troubled about his sins, since he sees himself as being
righteous in the esteem of the speaker. בֵל יֵפְנַחְו" :)ג"י ו"ל בוֹיִּא( רַמֱאֶנֶּשׁ ,םָלוֹעָל ףַא איִבֵמ ,הָפֻּנֲח

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